Incredible Hearts
by Arch Fox
Summary: What happens when two humans from the real world end up in fictional stories they already know the endings too? Do you play along? Try to help the heroes and heroines? Or... just make it out alive? Two sisters find out a bit too much about Disney Magic.
1. Chapter 1

**Incredible Hearts**

By: Arch Fox

**FOREWARD:**

This is a crazy story. If you want to read it, that's on you. I survived it with my sister… somehow. I don't know if it's been for better or worse, but then again, I suppose that's life in general. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, you just take what comes your way and make it your own. So yah… this is our crazy story; a fantastic voyage; worlds surprisingly familiar, but yet impossibly not. Some of it as a human, some of it as other things… Some of it we were even dead.

I blame Disney.

My name is Evelyn Reynolds. I'm 18. The rest can be filled in later. There's not a lot to me really, I'm normal in just about every respect, although at 18 I'm legal guardian of my six year old sister; long story there.

This story begins at the happiest place on earth. Actually, when you're paying for two, it's the money-grubbiest place on earth. Sixty bucks a ticket, another twenty for the t-shirt my little sister just had to have… Holy jesus Walt dips deep into your pockets. I laugh thinking about it now, maybe we didn't pay enough, I don't think anyone got to experience 'the magic of Disney' quite so much as we did.

It was a sunny day. My sister Anna was non-stop smiles. She refused the dumbo style stroller, not willing to completely act like the six-year-old she was. I teased her good naturedly. Of all the things she could have had us do, she wanted to go to Disney World. I will admit, we've never been, and the idea did have some appeal.

* * *

**Chapter 1: I wanted to visit, not stay…**

I remember the ride. We got on, the bars locked down and we listened to the campy piratey music. There was a skull and crossbones above the tunnel... I laughed at it, my sister did too... "Dead Men Tell No Tales..." it said. Things got kind of dark after that.

"This is the coolest ride ever!! It's just like the movie!" Anna said excitedly.

"Huh? Wha?" I tried to move. My back really hurt. Wherever we were, it wasn't very comfortable. I opened my eyes to sky and clouds.

My sister excitedly shook my shoulder. "We're in the Caribbean!"

"… … … … what?"

I sat up. Rubbing my eyes and feeling the pit of my stomach drop a few feet. This wasn't right. We were in a little ship. A dingy; sailing on crystal blue water.

Anna was up on the bow, leaning forward with her arms out like she was on the Titanic. "This is awesome!"

Oh god… I hadn't been drinking had I? Last I remembered we were supposed to be at Disneyland... and now we're... sailing?

"Anna, what's going on? Why are you dressed like that?"

Anna jumped over some piled ropes and dived into my arms, hugging me. She was dressed in a poofy dress from the Victorian era, her hair neatly pulled back in elaborate curling locks.

"We're in the Caribbean Evelyn! I'm a dainty lady and you're a pirate wench!"

I blinked a few times. This wasn't one of her six-year-old games was it? I looked down at myself. I don't know if I should have been surprised, but I was in different clothes too. What had been some touristy tang top was now some working leathers on and a bodice of some type showing a little more cleavage then I liked too.

I gripped the side of the boat for balance. I felt like I was going to hyperventilate. "Anna… how did we get here?"

Anna tilted her head and brought her pinky up to her lip, looking perplexed. "I'unno, we waited in line forever and ever to ride the pirates of the Caribbean… and now we're here! This is so much better then Splash Mountain was."

"This isn't Disneyworld," I said looking around. "This is open water."

"It's the Caribbean!"

I looked around a bit more. I guess it could be the Caribbean. I stood up and held a hand over my eyes to peer all around us. This wasn't good, there was no sign of land, no sign of anything.

I'd seen movies like this before… ones that weren't happy go lucky adventures with boisterous pirates. I started rooting through everything on our little dingy. My sister stood behind me watching with curiosity in her eyes.

"What'cha doing Evelyn?"

"Water… food… nothing. There's nothing here but some ropes and paddles. We're… we're adrift."

Anna shrugged. "It's a ride, it doesn't last forever…"

I sat down on the wood bench in the middle of the dingy… Doesn't last forever… yah, this is just a bad dream… "Anna, how did we get here?"

"I already told you, we were waiting in line, and we got on the ride… and now we're here!" She hopped up into my lap and hugged me. "Its an adventure!!"

I wasn't really a fan of adventures, especially ones that seemed to poof into existence…

I resolved to just sit and see what would happen. My sister was happy at least.

It took about a half hour for her to get bored though. Being on the water, and looking at all the prettiness of the sea and sky quickly gave way to being hot in the sun and wanting something to drink. When I explained to her that we didn't have any water, and that you can't drink the sea water… That's about when she started to adopt the same state of mind I'd been in all along.

Although, wouldn't you know it… sometimes weird and random begets weird and random… and the last thing I'd ever think to appear… suddenly showed up on the horizon.

"What is that?" Anna asked looking at the spec. There was clearly something there, it looked like a pimple where the sky met the water.

I squinted but couldn't tell either. "I dunno," I said, but as luck would have it, it seemed to be coming towards us. Ten minutes of us staring at it, seemed to move it closer, and eventually we could make out a little raft… planks of wood strewn together haphazardly with someone asleep in the middle of it.

"Someone's adrift at sea!" My sister said hopping up to the bow of the dingy. She was welcoming the distraction to her boredom and possible danger.

"We're adrift at sea too…" I said worrying. Something about this felt like things were about to get worse.

The raft kept getting closer and as it did… I noticed something in the clear water. At first I thought the sea was naturally moving us closer, but I noticed something bluish green, with long slender fins slowly swimming toward us. Something was pulling the raft, two somethings actually. Two… sea turtles?

"Ahoy!!" my sister called. I looked up at her surprised, having been lost looking at the two things in the water.

Whoever was on the raft lifted his head and looked around. Seeing us, he slowly got himself into a sitting position.

Something dreadfully familiar was settling over me. His movements, his outfit, two sea turtles… Only a few moments later and his raft was practically right next to our dingy. The man adrift stood up, used a small knife to cut loose the turtles and casually stepped into our boat.

My sister gasped in excitement, my throat dried in disbelief… "You're…?"

"JACK SPARROW!" my sister said hugging his legs. He had only just stepped into our little dingy and he looked at her curiously, trying to make little shooing motions with his hands.

"Off." He said trying to pry her away. "I'd like her off please," he said looking my way.

I pulled my sister away.

"You can't be real," I said with a frown.

"And neither can you," He smiled as he stepped past us and pushed a few of the ropes and things in the dingy around with his foot. "Although as unreal as you are, I was hoping you'd have some food and drink."

Anna was still utterly amazed. "He's real!" she said in amazement, reaching past me to touch him, nearly grabbing his flintlock.

He eased himself away from her. "No one is allowed to touch, use, take, hit, or shoot this, except me," he used a knuckle to tap once on Anna's forehead to emphasize his point "Savy little munchkin?"

Anna frowned. "I'm not a munchkin…"

"Don't talk to him Anna, this isn't right, he can't be real." Why would Disney go to the expense to pay Johnny Depp to appear in a personal joke on us? This wasn't making any sense.

Jack looked at me again. "Well, you're not real, and apparently you think I'm not real… so since all of us don't believe in the other's existence… how about we talk about how we're not in the same boat right now?"

"That doesn't make any sense…"

He smiled. "And neither do you. I was adrift, and you're both hallucinations."

Anna giggled. "One minute we were at Disney Land, the next we're here with you!"

"I asked the lady, not the munchkin."

Anna frowned again. "Stop that! I'm not a munchkin."

"Says the hallucination."

"Jerk!" she said sticking her tongue out at him.

Jack stuck his tongue back out at her. "Am not."

"Are too!"

"Am not."

I rolled my eyes. Jesus, I was with TWO 6-year-olds. "Look she's telling the truth for what its' worth. We both just magically appeared here, not sure how."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Magic?"

I sighed… how best to explain this… I mean… did I want to believe he was really Jack Sparrow? Or did I want to think that this was the most elaborate episode of candid camera ever. I shrugged and quickly grabbed at his hat.

"Oy!" Jack said suddenly finding my hand knocking off his hat and pulling at his bandana and dreadlocks beyond.

"That… that doesn't feel fake."

While I had my hand at his hair, Jack made a grab at my bodice, doing a quick bongo solo.

"And neither do these," He said shoving me away and grabbing his hat.

I gasped and covered my chest, thinking of slapping him.

"Hehe sis he touched your boobies," Anna giggled.

I frowned at Anna, still holding my arms close. Okay… so… maybe he was real.

"Ah, relatives. You're sister grabbed me hat, so I made for 'er bodice. Almost a fair trade," he said flipping his hat on.

"If you understood what my sister and I know about you… I mean, you're Jack Sparrow."

"Captain… Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Right, well Captain,"

"And you would be?"

I looked at Anna. "Uh… well…"

She was all too happy to explain, "This is my sister Evelyn Reynolds, and I'm Anna Marie Reynolds, but you can call me Anna!"

"… or munchkin. I prefer that actually."

"HEY!"

Jack shrugged. "I'm not actually that fond of children… small hands, always want things, always complaining… never have rum."

I quickly inserted myself between the two of them, chest first if that's what it takes to get his attention.

"Look, right now, real or not, we're all afloat in the middle of nowhere with no food and no water."

Jack shrugged nonchalantly. "Not something new tah me."

"Well it is to us… Could you rope a couple more sea turtles or something and get us out of here?"

"Evelyn was it?"

I nodded.

"It's a funny story about the turtles. Best pick up those paddles and start rowing."

I frowned. "And just where are we going to row?"

Jack smiled and took a seat towards the back of the small boat. Pulling out a small brown box.

"Don't worry where, just start rowing. Your captain has a compass."

My sister giggled and struggled to hold up one of the oars to pass to me. "Here Evelyn!"

I took a seat in the middle of the boat, facing Jack. I propped the oar in my lap. "Okay, fine... care to join CAPTAIN?"

Jack popped open his little brown box and smiled ruefully; making a shooing motion with his hand. "Pull pull, direction is good."

I tried to poke at him with the oar, but he just swayed left and right, dodging and reading his compass.

"I'm not about to row the damn boat by myself."

"Someone's got to navigate luv, I'm the Captain."

"Look, hand me the damn compass and I'll navigate. Stupid thing points at whatever your heart desires, and I want food and water."

Jack furrowed his brow at me and shut his brown box. "Who told you that?"

"Told me what?"

He dangled the compass.

Anna giggled again, "Everyone knows! Just like your pistol, you saved the only shot for Captain Barbosa."

Jack looked more confused. "Everyone?!"

"Anna he doesn't understand." It was either he didn't understand or he was an even better actor in person then on screen. "Look... Captain," I dipped the oars in the water. "Just assume that we know everything about you... how about that?"

Jack frowned. "S'not fair. Assume I don't believe you."

"Believe what you want, we know everything..."

While I went about rowing, my sister Anna was all to happy to recant the jist of three overdone Disney movies. The character Jack Sparrow was something of a cash cow for the dying animation dynasty, and although my sister didn't mention my personal thoughts... Jack was fascinated that someone so young as her would know so much of his recent adventures.

"So what does your heart desire... Captain?" I said pulling the oars. The work sucked, and I was already feeling sore.

Jack had a small bit of bamboo map which he unfolded and pointed to a small fountain looking drawing with the words "Aqua vitae" scrawled intricately.

"Just a little drink," he winked to me.

"What's that?" asked Anna.

I'm not a huge fan of the movies, but I had seen them before. Looks like we were somewhere just after the third movie.

"It means life water in Latin, Anna," I said over my shoulder to her. "Eternal youth and immortality."

Jack nodded with a smile. "An immortal could sail the seas for a nice long time luv."

"Speaking of nice long time, mind taking a turn at the oars?" I asked with a glare at Captain Lazy. I'd been pulling for at least an hour.

Jack was laying with his back to the keel of the boat, guiding the small rudder with his boot. "Navigating, sorry can't help."

I grumbled and kept rowing.

* * *

"Fine day to be on the water, eh cappin'?" Mr. Smee said with an enthusiastic nod. He held a red velvet pillow in his hands; atop which rested a silver ornate hook.

The captain of the Jolly Roger allowed himself a smile and a regal nod to his first mate. He reached with his good hand for the hook and with a clink, snapped it on to his wrist.

"Fine indeed."

The sails were set full and with a nice wind, the Jolly Roger was making good speed. Taking a spyglass, the Captain extended it and rested it upon his hook to check on something in the distance.

"Change course Mr. Smee. I do believe we have some drifters."

"Aye aye Cappin!" Mr. Smee jumped about, cupping a hand over his eyes and looking the same direction as his Captain. He waved at the helmsman. "Change course, change course!"

A shirtless, tattooed sailor smiled and spun the wheel theatrically, the boom of the main sail changing its placing with the wind, and the entire ship leaned as she turned.

The Captain put a foot on the rail, steadying himself as the ship eased into the new direction. He collapsed the spyglass and readjusted his hat. This might prove to make for an interesting day.

"Load the long guns," he said with a smile.

Mr. Smee snapped to attention with a salute. "Aye aye Cappin!"

* * *

"Hurray more Pirates!" My sister yelled happily. Jack and I both turned. Sure enough, there was a ship on the horizon. A black flag above her center mast.

"Yours?" I asked hesitantly.

Jack shook his head no.

"Friends?"

"Possibly... compass seems tah like them."

I didn't like it... but... in all seriousness, how much weirder could it get?

The ship closed on us and as it did, I noticed something really peculiar… It wasn't a ship from the Pirates of the Carribean movie. It seemed a little more vibrant then everything else, as if… as if it wasn't quite as real as we were.

Jack took out a spyglass and tried to see if he knew the ship. "That's not a ship o' the Spanish mane luv..."

I turned and looked a bit harder at the ship. I'd seen it before... just not in Jack's movie. I yanked the spyglass from his hand and looked at golden letters on the ship's side. "The Jolly Roger," I read aloud.

"Not a name I recognize. Best let me do the talking, maybe we can barter you for food and water."

"Like hell!" I said throwing the spyglass at him.

Anna giggled. "I know that ship! That was on the other ride!"

There was a loud boom; like a clap of thunder. Two white plumes of smoke left the ship. Two geysers of water erupted not far behind us.

"PARYLAY!" Anna yelled, cupping her little hands to her mouth. We were still quite a ways from the other ship, but to my surprise, they didn't continue to fire.

"Knows all about me and the code eh? Smart munchkin."

Anna frowned at Jack.

"Ahoy!!" came a boisterous voice from atop the crow's nest of the other ship. "Surrender or face obliteration!"

"Cannons are persuasive; especially if we lack them. Options?" Jack asked looking at me.

I picked up one of the oars and started waving it for surrender.

"Heroic one you are," Jack smirked; he looked to my sister, "Munchkin, who's the Captain of that other boat?"

Anna frowned and didn't answer.

"What?" he asked.

"Good afternoon..." came a loud voice from the other ship. The three of us turned to see a dozen pirates lining the rail of the approaching ship. The voice was coming from the tallest pirate of the group. "You seem to be adrift."

He was dressed in a red long coat, with a black hat and ruffled collar; he looked contemplatively at a hook for his hand; like he was addressing it instead of us.

"You would be the captain then?" Jack asked with his hands out. "Fine ship... and uh.. nice hat."

"Mr. Smee?" the Captain asked. Mr. Smee made a clumsy salute, but quickly grabbed a flintlock pistol from his belt and held it steady at our little ship. With a series of clicks, every pirate with a gun did the same.

Jack held his hands up.

"Heroic one YOU are," I said. Jack smiled and shrugged with his arms still raised.

"Of all the drifters we've come upon, this IS something rare. Seems there is a child... and a woman."

The pirates whistled at me, some elbowing each other.

"Hey! I'm not a child! I'm six!!" Anna yelled at them. She had her hands balled into fists and held them angrily on her hips.

"Is that so?" the Captain smirked, and with a sweeping motion of his hook, "Bring'um aboard boys!"

There was some cheering as rope ladders were thrown over the side of the ship.

* * *

"Fantastic," I said to myself. Given a few hours, things had gotten ridiculous.

Jack, Anna and I were tied in a circle around the center mast of the ship. Because of how short my sister was, they had us tied while sitting on the deck.

"This is awesome Evelyn!! It's like two rides mixed together!"

"I'm glad the munchkin is having fun, but I'm really not understanding this. These are the silliest bunch of pirates I've ever seen," Jack said looking about, "and that's saying a lot."

I rolled my eyes. These weren't your average pirates. They were smiling, punching each other and singing songs as they worked in dancing harmony.

A pair of gold buckle boots stepped in front of me. I looked up into the sun and the face of the ship's captain. He took off his hat and bowed low. "Captain James Hook, mylady."

"Charmed," I sneered. I knew I was dreaming now; while Johnny Depp was a real person, Captain Hook was not.

Jack leaned over my shoulder to talk to Captain Hook, "Well, you may find it hard to believe, but I happen to be a Captain too."

Captain Hook made a face of feigned interest.

"I'm the famed Captain o' the Black Pearl... Jack Sparrow," he smiled and nodded my way. "I'm told everyone's heard of me."

"Captain who?"

Jack's smile faded.

Captain Hook waved his hook around dismissively. "Everyone's a Captain these days, that other guy we found a day ago said he was a Captain too."

Mr. Smee nodded enthusiastically behind Captain Hook. "He's still aboard Cappin! Mr. Cid is sleeping in the galley. First man I've ever met to drink a keg by himself in one sitting. Blumon impossible really."

Jack and I looked at each other ...another Captain?

Captain Hook shook his head, "What isn't floating around these days?" he looked at me and winked. "It's not often we have a woman aboard. I'm sorry for the rope business, but we pirates have certain ways of doing things."

"This is kinda uncomfortable? Can I be let go?" Anna asked Captain Hook.

He paused in his glaring at me and Jack, seeming to lose his train of thought and looked to Mr. Smee who just shrugged. "We have their weapons Cappin. Mr. Jack had a pistol, a compass, a map and an empty flask. The girl's didn't have anything sides what they're wearin'..." he looked my way and made a coughing noise, "But we didn't search everywhere on her."

Captain Hook rolled his eyes. "We're not animals," he said as he thrust his hook into the mast, snapping the line binding us.

"Thanks mate," Jack said letting the ropes fall and shimmying out of them. "The munchkin was right, never really liked being tied up."

"I'm not a munchkin!!" Anna complained.

Captain Hook cleared his throat. "Well, I'll make an offer to all three of you. Pirate or plank? It's simple really."

A few of the gathered pirates laughed and unsheathed their swords. Mr. Smee came running with a large book.

"What happens if I'm already a pirate?" Jack asked eying the book suspiciously.

"Then you sign with us and get your things back. The world never has enough pirates."

"I agree with you there mate... but I'm not looking to sign on with a crew... I'm looking to take one," he looked around at all the blades and pirates. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow; pillager, thief, drinker of rum... and ship's Captain."

Captain Hook rolled his eyes, "might we get you to sign mylady?" he asked me with a warm smile. He gently curled his hook around my wrist, leaning down as if to kiss it.

I was a bit repulsed, but for some reason I couldn't force myself to yank my hand away. He kissed my hand and smiled up at me.

The gathered pirates were starting to sing. Yo ho! You'll love the life of a thief! You'll cherish the life of a crook!

Jack looked around confused. "Talented bunch, I'll give you that."

"I wanna be a pirate!" Anna said happily. She practically tackled Mr. Smee, trying to reach for the quill he had carefully balanced in a bottle of ink.

Mr. Smee bumbled for a moment, but managed to get the book and the bottle on the deck. "Careful little miss, we just need you to sign the crew ledger and you'll be a pirate," Mr. Smee said as he flipped the pages.

"Do I get a free tattoo?" she asked with big puppy eyes.

Singing : You get a free tattoo!

"YAY!" Anna smiled grabbing for the quill. I quickly tugged away from Captain hook and stepped carefully in front of Anna, sliding the ink bottle away with my foot.

"Anna, please wait a minute before signing your life away," I said frowning at Mr. Smee.

"We're free men mylady," said Captain Hook, "The ledger is a long and illustrious list of the adventuring pirates who have served on the Jolly Roger. We'll provide you with everything you could ever need, and a long life of... what was it you said you did Mr. Sparrow?"

"Pillaging, thieving and rum drinking. Pirate's life isn't that bad luv," Jack smirked.

"Blunt... but nicely put."

"Come on Evelyn! Let's be pirates! It'll be an adventure!"

I frowned at my sister. She was six, this was all just some silly dream fantasy to her... Could we really just sign on with pirates?

* * *

Two pairs of eyes sat looking at the Jolly Roger from a cloud.

"What do you think, tink?"

"oooOOoooOOO..." Tinkerbell chimed.

Peter nodded. "Looks like the codfish has them surrounded," he said looking at the three figures. With a slight smile he pulled a small dagger from its sheaf. "Someone better save them."

"oOOooOOO!!" Tinks jingle was a lot more insistant.

"You worry too much Tink, it's just a bunch of old farty pirates. Couldn't shoot a dodo if it was sitting on their foot."

"ooooo"

"It'll be a rescue!"

The little golden fairy looked at the boat and she could already tell what was on it... two girls... just about the worst thing for Peter. ... but looking closer... there was a third? No... it wasn't a girl, it was a man, but there was something odd about him.

Peter poked his head through the cloud, smiling boyishly.

* * *

"PAN!!"

The ship's crew suddenly stopped what they had been doing and looked toward the crow's nest where a pirate was frantically pointing toward the sky. Captain Hook was the next to see him, and a wicked smile grew on his face.

"...Perfect," he said to himself. He nudged Mr. Smee who was still staring at the clouds. "Load the guns!"

"Aye aye Cappin!! All hands on deck!!" Mr. Smee shouted while running about. He took a small whistle and started blowing it as he ran around in circles. "All hands on deck!" -twee twee twee.

The ship suddenly swarmed with Pirates. Every hatch and scuttle was opened with big brawny men covering the deck and running to the cannons.

Jack, Anna and I stood looking a bit confused.

"What do we do?" Anna asked tugging at my side.

"Am I to understand they need the whole ship's crew to fight a flying green boy?" Jack asked looking up and covering his eyes.

I shrugged, "Something like that."

"Down right inefficient."

Captain Hook took long strides to the bridge of the Jolly Roger, Mr. Smee close behind him. Taking the wheel, he watched as all his men prepared the cannons, rearing them back to face skyward. With a vigorous cry of challenge he drew a long cutlass. "Today we get Pan men!"

The pirates around the three of us cheered.

"Mr. Sparrow, you capture or kill that boy and I'll buy you a ship of your own!"

"Done!" Jack called. "This ought to go quick," he said reaching for his belt to draw a pistol that wasn't there.

Mr. Smee pointed to the door below the bridge, "Your personal effects are in the galley Mr. Sparrow."

Jack sighed and walked around the gathering pirates toward the galley.

I stood with my sister and watched the pirates at work, seemingly oblivious to the two of us standing in the middle of the ship. Captain Hook made a motion with his cutlass for Anna and I to join him. Not really sure what to do, but feeling somehow in the way of the brawny pirates, I took Anna's hand and we dodged our way through the loading of guns to get to the bridge.

"This is soooo cool!" Anna said happily as she hopped over cannon balls and around singing bloodthirsty pirates.

The first cannon went off as we reached the bridge.

* * *

Peter did a corkscrew around the first cannonball. He was laughing and sticking his tongue out, stopping just a moment to make faces. He was flying again as the next cannonball came sailing by.

The golden fairy flew behind him, a dust trail in her wake as she zipped in mirrored movements with Peter.

"Isn't this fun Tink?"

"oo!!"

Peter laughed and continued his attack; zigging and zagging, cannonballs whistling by.

As he got closer he tried to spot the three captives he'd seen from the cloud. One of them had disappeared, the other two were behind the codfish. They were girls; and the coward was going to use them as hostages!

He balled himself up, flipping backwards in a sudden spiral to help avoid pistol shot. He wasn't worried, the pirates were terrible marksmen. He flung his arm out, laughing as he hit a pirate on the rigging with the hilt of his dagger. He made a quick slash and brought down a corner of the sail.

Captain Hook yelled angrily and Peter flew right at him.

* * *

Seeing a cartoon Peter Pan and having one fly around you are two entirely different things. The boy was a complete daredevil, flying backwards, knife fighting pirates who were taking shots at him. He made a swoop near me and out of instinct I ducked.

Pan blinked his eyes a few times, seeing what I was wearing, "Jimminy! She's a pirate too!"

A familiar fairy buzzed my ear. "!"

I didn't like how crazy this was quickly becoming. I grabbed my sister's hand and headed back down the stairs away from the bridge and toward the galley door.

"Evelyn wait! I wanna watch! There's guns and pirates!"

"No! There's crazy fictional characters with deadly weapons who can't aim. We need to hide."

I was nearly too the galley when Jack came bursting out.

"Ah found my effects luv," he smiled looking about. He saw Pan cross his dagger with Captain's Hook's cutlass. "One dead green fly," Jack said cocking his pistol back and taking aim with one arm.

In a surprising moment of clarity, I knew that Jack wouldn't miss. Something guided my body and I quickly dove and wrapped my arms around his legs, taking him down just as he fired. The shot took the hat right off Peter's head.

Peter Pan and Captain Hook froze looking at Jack in surprise. Peter patted at the top of his head where his hat had been. Without a word or a laugh he flew by Hook, reached his arms out, and clasped his hands with my sister's.

She smiled and giggled as she was lifted off the deck.

I screamed and tried to get up, but Peter already had her out of my reach.

"It's okay Evelyn! He's the hero!" Anna called after me as she was flown away.

Jack pushed me off of him. "Bet you wish I hadn't of missed now..." he said standing up and dusting himself off.

Oh god oh god, he had my sister; time seemed to slow... I got to my feet, jerking my head around... the seconds ticked by like the beating of my heart... I saw a pirate with a long rifle... I punched him in the jaw... took his rifle... quickly climbed the stairs three at a time... shoved between Captain Hook and Mr. Smee... jumped up on the tail of the bridge... brought the rifle to my shoulder and... started crying.

"NOOOOOOO!!" I screamed holding the rifle up, but knowing there was no way I could safely hit Peter. Even if I could hit him accurately, he'd drop my sister. "Bring her back!!" I called after him.

Peter didn't turn around. He kept flying away, the golden fairy trailing behind him.

I looked at the gun in my hands with disgust. Was I thinking of shooting someone? No no, this was a dream, I was just doing the first thing that came to mind... he had my sister!

"Blasted PAN!!" Captain Hook came running up beside me, shaking his hook menacingly. "Full sail! Swing her around, we'll shoot them out of the sky! Load the..."

CLICK

"...Belay that..." Captain Hook said looking at me with the business end of my rifle pressed to his cheek.

"He's got my sister! No one gets shot out of the sky!" I said firmly.

My barrel helped Captain Hook make a slow nod.

All the pirates on board were looking at me. Jack was the only one smiling. It was insanity... Everyone was just as their movie counterparts were supposed to be, and since I knew the movies... I'd have to use that.

"I'll get you Pan if you help me get my sister back."

Captain Hook smiled, slowly easing the barrel away from his cheek with his hook. "Seems we did pick up two of the most interesting drifters today." He walked a step away from me and picked up a little green hat that had a bullet hole clear through its center. "I think we have a deal."

Jack joined us on the bridge. "Should be easy enough, the boy looked 14; so what if he can fly. Didn't seem faster then a pistol shot."

Mr. Smee laughed, "Boy?! Peter Pan's probably close to 90! We've been fighting him for some 80 years now. That BOY cut off Cappin's hand and..."

"Mr. Smee?"

"Yes Cappin?"

"Shut up."

"Aye Aye Cappin."

"Wait wait..." Jack said quickly grabbing his little brown box. He ran up next to me and opened it. The arrow was pointing in the direction of Peter and my sister. "How old is that boy?" Jack asked.

"I don't blasted know, he's my enemy," Captain Hook snarled. "He's old enough to get what's coming to him!"

Jack shut his compass. "How old are you then?"

Captain Hook looked surprised and turned to Mr. Smee. Mr. Smee quickly counted on his fingers looking a bit perplexed at the math. "Well, Cappin will be 127 in a fort night."

Jack smiled, "I've thought it over lads. You may need a little extra help finding this... boy..."

Captain Hook smiled, "Aye, welcome aboard."

I throw the rifle onto the deck and stomped off the bridge. My sister had been kidnapped by... the hero? What the hell did that make us?


	2. Chapter 2

**Incredible Hearts**

By: Arch Fox

* * *

**Chapter 2 : Pirates We Be.e**

"The man's a loon," Captain Hook said pawing at his forehead with his good hand. "He drinks and then he raves on and on about heartless critters. Says he tracked them here and they messed up his flying boat."

"...what does he drink?" Jack asked with a hint of a smile.

"We've got a store of rum in the galley."

"I think I might go an talk to the man," Jack said turning on a heel and jauntily heading out of the cabin.

Captain Hook rolled his eyes and continued to pour over the charts and maps on his cabin table. Mr. Smee was busy shining his boots. I had a chair on the other side of the table and I was staring at the same map as Captain Hook. He'd been excited when I said I'd seen the map before and knew where Pan's hideout was, but when I looked for familiar plot points from the movie, I'd found they'd already blown up the tree that Peter used to live in.

"Why keep him on board if he just drinks and raves?" I asked. This other captain didn't really make sense to me.

"The man may drink, but he can fight too. He's beaten anyone who's tried to get him out of the galley. Carries a spear, and even blind drunk, he's good. You're friend could do well not to upset him."

I laughed, "I doubt he went to talk to him; whatever rum you had left, it'll be gone soon."

Captain Hook frowned. He reached over and tapped Mr. Smee on the head as he continued to shine his boots. "We'll take her into the east winds, that should get us back to Neverland even faster."

Mr. Smee nodded enthusiastically and made one last buff on the shoes before running off to see the course changed.

I stared at the map a little longer. It was kind of weird, it seemed the island of Neverland was pretty much the center of the universe and everything else was just vast stretches of water around here. I sighed... this was all well and good but my sister's fate was all I could think about.

I forced myself from the table and went to check on Jack.

"East east! Take 'er east!" Mr. Smee was jumping around on the bridge and shoving at the big tattooed sailor who spun the wheel.

I tried to ignore the noise and slipped from one door and into another. It was a small number of stairs down and into a very cramped passageway lined with storage closets. It opened into a larger room about the size of the Captain's cabin. Jack was leaning against a series of windows at the back of the room, smiling with a bottle of rum in his hand. Someone else was sitting a few feet away, resting with his feet on a table.

"Ah, Captain Cid, I'd like you to meet Evelyn... She's sort of a new acquittance of mine."

The man looked a bit older. His hair was dirty blonde, short and messy. His clothes weren't period correct; he had a pair of aviator goggles on his head like a bandana... Whoever he was, I definitely hadn't seen him in any Disney movies.

"Evening miss," he said evenly, not really looking at me. "Be a doll and refill my flask will you?"

He flung a hip flask on the table. I looked at it a moment and simply brushed it onto the floor.

"You're not from the Carribean or Neverland are you?" I said getting straight to the point.

The man finally looked at me. "My flask?"

"Refill it yourself. I'm not you're servant."

"Stupid (BEEP)ing kids, no respect," he took his feet off the table and allowed his chair to clang forward as he sat up. He took a cigarette from his jacket pocket and lit a match seemingly from nowhere. "So she's with you Jackie?" he asked taking a drag and exhaling through his nose like a dragon.

"Fraid so mate; not really sure why, but she's got something about her that's pulling us together I think."

Cid nodded. "Thought it might be like that. Lemme guess, you just appeared in this world too right?" he asked leaning back in his chair again.

I nodded slowly. "Yah, just... somewhere else one minute, here the next."

"Bet you thought it was a dream too huh?"

I took a seat, my legs were getting weak. "I had kind of hoped it was a dream."

Exhaling in a long smoky plume, Cid laughed, clapping the table. "Haha, sorry darlin', but this ain't no dream. You're really here, just like Jackie over there... although to be honest, he's not supposed to be here either."

Jack smiled. "I'm not complaining. I've got some things I'd like to check into around here."

"Where are you from then?" I asked a bit confused.

"Seems I might have forgotten girly. My throat... its a bit dry."

I sneered. Why couldn't I have ended up with romantic pirates? So far they'd all been jerks. I picked the flask up off the floor. "How do I refill it?"

Jack flung his bottle my way and I grumbled catching it and filling the flask. I flung the flask and the bottle back at both guys. Even in their relaxed position, they caught it without having to move much.

I felt a bit weird... usually I didn't have much grace or dexterity... things tended to break even when I was being careful... Yet without really thinking, I'd just flipped two bottles like a pro. Not only that... earlier I'd decked a pirate and taken his rifle. I hate fighitng, since when I had been good at it?

"Ahh, much better," Captain Cid said taking a swig. "I'm from Hollow Bastion. It's another world, similar to this one and sort of the center of our operation."

"Another world?" Jack asked looking interested. "Didn't realize there were more then one."

"Quite a few more... but that's not important right now. What's important is what I told you earlier Jackie. There's some scary things hiding on this world, I tracked them here."

"We have to hurry, they have my sister."

Captain Cid jumped up from his chair. "The heartless?! You've seen them?"

I shook my head no. "The boy, Peter Pan took her."

Cid stubbed his cigarette, sat down, and lit another. "Feh, she'll be fine. He's not the enemy."

I frowned, stomped around the table and took the cigarette from his fingers. "My sister has been kidnapped."

"What the (FUZZ) woman!?"

I flicked the cigarette out the window, missing Jack by just an inch or two. "I want to know what kind of dangers are around this world. I want to know if she's in trouble... I WANT HER BACK."

The two of us glared and growled at each other for a few minutes before he finally sneered and looked away.

"Settle down... geeze," Captain Cid said frowing and sitting up. He grabbed another cigarette out of his pocket. Jack pulled up a chair and flipped it backwards to sit with us. He did the same match trick as Cid had done and lit the cigarette for him.

"All cozy? Now then how about you tell us about what's so special here?" Jack asked cooly.

I grabbed a chair, slammed it down next to them and promptly sat. "Yes. Explain EVERYTHING."

* * *

We sailed on for rest of the afternoon; picking up speed and heading into choppier waters as the sun went down. As the sea worsened, I learned a few things about myself.

Oh god... the little dingy hadn't rocked this hard. I felt my stomach flip and for a moment, the world spun. I ran for a window and pushed open the glass pane; lurching as my dinner came up.

"Oy... that's pretty bad," Jack said with a bit of a squeemish twinge. "You... you okay luv?"

I watched the last bit of dribble hit the water. "Gruh... shoot me."

"Ah leave 'er be Jackie," shouted Cid from the table. He kicked back his flask. "Let 'er get sick. Ain't no cure in the (BONK)'ing world for a weak stomach; best to ralph it up and grow a new one! Gahahah!"

If I felt any better, I'd go kick him. "Shut up old man," I said quietly over my shoulder.

"What was that?!" growled Cid. "Hey, you got something to say you little (SQUEAK), say it so I can hear it!"

My stomach lurched again and whatever I was going to say was replaced with "blaghhhh..."

"Thought not, gahaha."

Staring at the water, half hanging out the window and sobbing, I made a silent promise never to sail again if I made it ashore. I tried wiping the outside of my mouth with a fist, and it was in the evening moonlight that I noticed something in the water. My sobbing stopped as my breath caught in my throat. Those somethings in the water were black with claw like hands... many somethings... latching onto the tail end of the ship.

Cid had stopped laughing, and the lamplight had dimmed in the galley.

I felt a hand on my back. "They're here aren't they?" he asked.

Cid yanked me away from the window and I stumbled back. He grabbed his spear that had been laying against a wall and kicked over a table, grabbing me and keeping me behind it.

"Those don't look very happy eh mate?" Jack said backing up toward the door.

The windows were filling with black creatures. It looked like shadows had clogged the frames and all you could see was white eye slits glaring at the three of us.

"This is bad..." Cid said flicking away his cigarette and taking the shaft of his spear in both his hands.

"What the heck are those things?" I asked with my back against the table. I thought about crawling toward Jack and the galley exit.

"Those are heartless woman!" Cid spat. "They're dead shadows on a hunt!"

Death wasn't really someone I wanted to meet. I tried my best to crawl toward Jack. As I began to move, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. The creatures where also crawling into the room... along the wall, ceiling, and floor from the windows.

"You got a sword Jackie?"

"Course mate," Jack said drawing his sword. "Although this doesn't exactly look like my type of fight," his free hand reaching for the galley exit.

"You piece of (EWWW) the heck do you think you're going?"

There was a meaty ka-chunk as Cid's spear was thrust at the ceiling, skewering a heartless. The creature exploded in a fine black mist.

* * *

Captain Hook stared in disbelief at a spear tip sitting squarely between his two feet. He slowly backed up his chair, just as the spear point was yanked through the deck, leaving a fist sized hole between his cabin and the galley.

"That's it! No more rum for drifters!" he yelled.

He got on his knees and cupped a hand to his mouth to yell down in the hole. "You hear me faux captains? No more ru..."

There was something black with a white angry eye looking at him through the hole. He jumped back with a slightly girlish shriek... The spear tip suddenly tore through the deck once more about a foot behind the last hole. The creature was gone.

"MR. SMEE!!! We're under attack!"

* * *

I've heard that discretion was the better part of valor. Sounds pretty good at least when you're crawling around under tables trying to make your way out of a room filled with monsters.

Captain Cid was cursing and slamming his spear everywhere. Jack had already left.

I was nearly to the door when I noticed something quickly moving across the wall. It jumped between me and the door.

It was all black, syrupy in structure, but yet solid. One of its arms ended in an hooked scythe-like hand, and its narrow white eyes were blankly staring at me.

"What do you want?!" I asked in a panic. It didn't reply, it just swung its arm at me. I barely backed up before it splintered the deck in front of me.

I might have screamed, I'm not entirely sure, but as my back met the overturned table I felt an odd sensation in my hand. It suddenly felt warm and a bit heavy.

The creature lunged at me with its wicked arm again. I shut my eyes and out of instinct my hand flew up to guard my face. There was a clash and I cracked open my eye to find there was a long curving key in my hand... barely holding off the creatures hook.


End file.
